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Re: R. Russell queens

Robert posted this on his site.

At this point it looks like we are going to have to postpone shipping queens until April 16th... at that time we will be shipping more than we usually do per day so we can catch back up as quickly as possible... the office is a total mess... a large nuc yard was hit as well, and while we were able to straighten up the majority of the nucs, they will definitely be set back from the damages... this whole week is calling for thunderstorms, so we won't be able to make a clear assessment of how bad and what it will take to get them back on track until next week... I am thankful for all the help that everyone is offering us, and a few guys from other operations have already arrived as well as our staff from other states, so we have a strong work force working on what they can each time the weather gives us a chance... we are still trying to answer emails but the ladies are working from laptops and cell phones at the moment, and the internet connection is very slow compared to the hard wired office, so hang in there while they work through that... thank you everyone for understanding...

Becky aka Turnersville Bees, Member of TN Beekeepers,
President of CMCBA, Secretary of CCBA

Re: R. Russell queens

I ordered a SunKist queen Feb. 25th. I received an email saying that She shipped today. Perfect timing too, I've got a colony that is busting at the seams that will donate some brood and honey for a new hive.

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by theriverhawk

If you paid via PayPal, check your account. If there is a charge, then they received the order.

The charge is there. They have my money -- paid in full. I'm leaving town on June 13 for three months of work away from home. If I don't get my queens by then, they will die in the Post Office. I planned my order based on my work schedule -- not on a supplier that can't even answer the phone.

I confess that I have myself to blame. Had I googled Russell Apiaries, I would have learned that their failure to deliver in a reasonable amount of time and their failure communicate has been a chronic problem for years.

Re: R. Russell queens

It is not uncommon for an agricultural based operation to be behind by a week or two. Considering everything that has happened to Russell's this year (tornadoes, destroyed buildings, worker deaths) I'd be shocked if he wasn't AT LEAST three weeks behind in his orders.

If you requested a shipping date for May 28, but you are leaving for three months on June 13th, I would say you planned poorly.

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by Specialkayme

....I would say you planned poorly.

As I said before, I confess that I have myself to blame. Had I googled Russell Apiaries, I would have learned that their failure to deliver in a reasonable amount of time and their failure communicate has been a chronic problem for years. Indeed, I "planned poorly."

Re: R. Russell queens

Your poor planning had little to do with the supplier. It had to do with requesting a queen two weeks before you were leaving for three months. The delay of a week or two could have happened to any queen producer, Russell included.

Re: R. Russell queens

Blainenay booked and paid almost 10 weeks before a scheduled ship date which was over 2 weeks before his scheduled departure dosent strike me as unreasonable. That is almost 3 months that Russells had to work with. We should all plan so poorly.....

"People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe."- Andy Rooney

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by jim lyon

That is almost 3 months that Russells had to work with.

And he should take precedence over individuals that booked 6 months in advance? A year in advance? I don't think so. When the breeder gets behind, it's a first come first serve thing. Three months is nothing for this type of operation.

Plus, my comment had more to do with the amount of time it takes to install a queen, rather than the requested shipping date. If you plant a queen in a hive, you should wait at least a week before checking to see if she was accepted. If you gave yourself two weeks to plant a queen and make sure she is accepted before walking away for three months, that doesn't give enough time. One week to see if the queen is accepted, and if she isn't then what do you do? You have one week to get a replacement and repeat the process? Impossible. We all know any breeder will not have a 100% take rate. That's all assuming they arrive ON THE EXACT DATE YOU WANTED. I have yet to find a breeder (other than the "johnny on the spot" guys) that isn't usually running behind by about a week by this time of year every year.

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by Specialkayme

And he should take precedence over individuals that booked 6 months in advance? A year in advance? I don't think so. When the breeder gets behind, it's a first come first serve thing. Three months is nothing for this type of operation.

I have yet to find a breeder (other than the "johnny on the spot" guys) that isn't usually running behind by about a week by this time of year every year.

Poor planning all around.

And of course I never said that he should be asking for preference over those folks who have waited longer, this really isnt about preference at all, its just about whether it is a reasonable time frame and yes of course it is a reasonable time frame, because it is the one that the Russell's agreed to. Once someone banks your payment and gives you a delivery date you are well within reason to expect delivery on or about the time you were given. What his plans are for installing and caring for his queens after delivery is really not the issue here either. As far as I know he had made provisions for someone to look after them while he was gone, or maybe he is running an experiment on what happens if you leave bees unattended for 3 months I don't know and neither do you because, again, its not the issue here the queens are his to throw away if he chooses. Given the fact that Beehugheshoney recently gave testimonial that he has seen his facility in California where approximately 5,000 queens are shipped per week and that he had has never experienced a delay with Mr. Russell and has actually been offered them ahead of schedule the expectation of ontime delivery becomes even more realistic. It is unfortunate that you have yet to find a breeder that isnt running behind by at least a week because that sure hasnt been my experience through the years with the breeders I have dealt with.

"People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe."- Andy Rooney

Re: R. Russell queens

Heck - if that is the way all queen producers operate then why don't they just state "send us your money and we'll send you a queen when we darn well want to and don't harass us with phone calls or emails because we won't respond. Thanks for your hard earned money....".

It amazes me how this thread always ends up blaming people who sent their money based on a promise that wasn't kept. If it is so unpredictable, don't cash peoples checks until you can deliver the goods.

Re: R. Russell queens

Originally Posted by Specialkayme

Poor planning all around.

Obviously you can't stand it when someone speaks about their experience that is less than stellar regarding Russell Apiary. To jump all over a customer for "only" allowing a two week time frame to hive a queen is amazing. As Jim said, that's no one's business except the buyer's and has no bearing on the delay in shipment. Isn't it time you let the parties involved work things out and let both bad and good experiences be said without always trying to explain it away?